Department for Transport

Driving Licences: Rhondda Cynon Taf

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of driving licence applications currently awaiting processing from applicants in (a) Cynon Valley constituency and (b) Rhondda Cynon Taff local authority.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the delays in processing driving licence applications at the DVLA.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of telephone call handlers at the DVLA to reduce telephone enquiry waiting times.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the average telephone contact waiting time for driving licence application enquiries at the DVLA in the last six months.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of full time equivalent staff employed to (a) process driving licence applications and (b) deal with driving licence application enquiries, including those employed in call centres, by or on behalf of the DVLA in each year since 2010.

Trudy Harrison: Information on the number of driving licence applications awaiting processing is not held by region. The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and at its new customer service centre in Birmingham. These measures are having a positive impact, the number of paper applications awaiting processing has reduced significantly and customers should continue to see an improving picture in terms of waiting times.Applications where the driver has a medical condition that must be investigated before a licence can be issued will take longer. However, the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet the criteria outlined here.Since 1 April 2020, the DVLA’s contact centre has recruited and trained 166 staff with 20 more due to join in March and a further 150 being recruited who will start their training between May and July. In addition, the DVLA’s new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham have already recruited 181 of up to 300 staff who are being trained to process medical driving licence applications as well as supporting customers who have contacted the DVLA by phone.Once a caller has been connected to the queue to speak to a DVLA advisor about a driving licence application, the average waiting time over the last six months is shown in the table below.MonthWaiting time in minutesFebruary 202214.4January 202223.6December 202126.4November 202124.2October 202114.4September 202114.1 It is not possible to provide figures for the number of people specifically working to process driving licence applications and deal with driving licence application enquiries on applications, as most DVLA operational roles require staff members to carry out a range of tasks.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire dated 22 December 2021 regarding Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980, reference ZA58210.

Trudy Harrison: A response to your letter of 22 December was sent on 4th March.

Department for Transport: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 up to and including 28 February; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department is fully committed to the Government’s transparency agenda and publishes details of expenditure over £25,000 by month. This information can be found via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dft-departmental-spending-over-25000

Pontefract Line

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of service Northern Rail is required to provide on the Pontefract Line between Leeds and Pontefract as part of its franchise agreement.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Northern Rail on ending the extended use of temporary timetables on (a) the Pontefract Line and (b) all other services between Leeds and Pontefract for which that operator is responsible.

Wendy Morton: Rail services between Leeds and Pontefract are part of the Leeds-Knottingley and Goole routes. In December 2021, the timetable service level was broadly one train per hour on each route. As a result of Omicron, a number of services were withdrawn to ensure a consistent and reliable service. The Department, along with operators and Network Rail agrees timetables twice a year, ensuring that the level of service is appropriate to passenger demand.The operator is currently engaging with the Department and the Rail North Partnership on its post-May 2022 timetable. As we recover from the pandemic, we want to provide a reliable and resilient service that has sufficient capacity to meet actual demand and provide value for money to the taxpayer.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Property: Russia

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the current value of assets owned in the UK property market by (a) Russian oligarchs and (b) others associated with the Putin regime.

Paul Scully: HM Land Registry (HMLR) registers legal ownership, interests, mortgages and other secured loans against land and property in England and Wales and in most cases the price paid is also recorded. Land Registration is a devolved matter in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. The Register of Title held by HMLR does not record the nationality of individuals who own land or property. Further details about the information that HM Land Registry holds, what is publicly available, and how it can be obtained, is set out online via the GOV.UK website.

Public Houses: Coronavirus

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to review the impact of measures undertaken to support the recovery of public houses, within the hospitality sector, from the impact of the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: Since the start of the pandemic I have worked closely with representatives from across the hospitality sector, listening to their concerns and representing their interests across Government. That close working relationship helped shape the Government’s £400 billion package of support for businesses, which included business grants, loans, business rates relief, and VAT discounts. In July 2021, the Government published a Hospitality Strategy, which aims to support the sector’s post-Covid recovery and create a resilient, dynamic, innovative, and green sector that plays a leading role in local communities, high streets and city centres across the country. BEIS officials and I continue to work closely with the sector, including through the newly-established Hospitality Sector Council, to address current challenges and help it improve its resilience against future challenges.

Public Houses: Coronavirus

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to specifically support the recovery of public houses, within the hospitality sector, from the impact of the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: In response to the pandemic, we put in place one of the world’s most comprehensive economic responses worth £400 billion, including business grants, loans, business rates relief, and VAT discounts. This Department has also published a comprehensive strategy to help the wider hospitality sector recover. The Hospitality Strategy focuses on domestic solutions to support the sector’s recovery post-Covid and we aim to build on the sector’s strengths and address its challenges to create a resilient, dynamic, innovative, and green sector which plays a leading role in local communities, high streets and city centres across the country. The recently established Hospitality Sector Council (HSC) has also been set up to support delivery of the commitments set out in the Hospitality Strategy and identify wider measures to improve the resilience of the sector.Officials in the Department and I continue to speak regularly with representatives from across the hospitality sector so that we can understand the challenges they face and work with them to boost demand and enabling businesses to trade more flexibly.

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support small business growth in (a) Bexley Borough, (b) Greater London and (c) England.

Paul Scully: Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of our economy and have a key role to play in driving economic growth. The Government has taken action to support UK SMEs, including support with business rates; increasing the employment allowance; cutting corporation tax from 28% to 19% and exempting small and micro businesses from regulations where possible. The London Borough of Bexley received £4,852,729 in Local Growth Funding which was delivered through the London Economic Action Partnership. The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme provides loans of up to £25,000 for those starting a new business, or for businesses which have been trading for up to 24 months. In addition to finance, loan recipients are offered a dedicated mentoring service and access to a free expert business mentor for 12 months to help them with every aspect of setting up a business. The Start Up Loans programme has delivered over 91,000 loans totalling more than £830m (as at January 2022). 292 loans have been issued in Bexley, totalling over £2,979,262.

Postage Stamps: Prices

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on Royal Mail customers of (a) the price increase on Royal Mail stamps and (b) current stamps which will no longer be valid from January 2023.

Paul Scully: As a private business, Royal Mail’s management sets the prices for its services. The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s day-to-day commercial or operational decisions. In setting its prices however, Royal Mail must work within the regulatory framework set by Ofcom, the independent regulator. This framework currently imposes price caps on certain second-class products. In January 2021, Royal Mail raised the price of second-class standard letter stamps to the level of the cap, and it can now only raise prices for that product in line with CPI rates for the remainder of Ofcom’s current review period, ending in March 2024. Ofcom plans to begin work towards the end of this year on a review of the appropriate scope and level of the safeguard caps that should apply from April 2024. The development of stamp products is also an operational matter for Royal Mail. Royal Mail has announced a ‘Swap Out’ scheme to exchange existing stamps for new barcoded versions which is set to open on 31 March 2022. Royal Mail will set out further details on the scheme in due course.

Energy Supply: EU Countries

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the UK manufacturing capacity to assist with energy transition in other European countries.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what skills assessment he has undertaken to ensure that the UK can assist EU partners with the diversification of their energy supply.

Greg Hands: Energy security is an absolute priority for this Government, and the Government is determined to act together with European Partners. The current volatility in global oil and gas prices only underscores the importance of international collaboration to drive innovation in renewables and nuclear energy, reducing the UK’s reliance on Russian hydrocarbons.

Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to build the UK's (a) non-gas and (b) oil energy capability.

Greg Hands: The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government’s plan for reducing reliance on fossil fuels as the engine of the UK economy and making the transition to low carbon energy consistent with its net zero commitments. This includes ambitious plans to support the deployment of low carbon and renewable technologies such as offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen, which will contribute to decarbonising the UK’s power, heat and transport sectors. Further details are set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy.

Natural Gas: Prices

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support households living off the gas grid with rapidly rising gas prices.

Greg Hands: Off-gas grid households who are on their electricity supplier’s default or standard variable tariffs are protected by the energy price cap. The price cap methodology used by Ofgem enables a separate rate to be set for households who heat their homes using electric storage heaters. Off-gas grid households will also receive £200 discount on their electricity bill this Autumn, as part of the Government’s package of support worth £9.1 billion to help domestic energy customers with the cost of rising energy bills. Further support for energy bills is available to eligible households through the Warm Home Discount, the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payments.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department expects to start receiving supply of the Novavax covid-19 vaccine.

George Freeman: The UK will only receive a supply of the vaccines it needs to meet its vaccination programme. The Government will continue to be guided by the advice of the JCVI on which vaccines should be deployed in the UK’s vaccination programmes. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will provide advice to the Government, after taking into consideration the safety and efficacy of the Novavax vaccine.

Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government’s press release entitled £260 million to boost healthcare research and manufacturing, published on 2 March 2022, noting that Ortho Clinicals Diagnostics UK, Custom Pharmaceuticals Limited and Randox Laboratories have been awarded funding through the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund, how much funding has been allocated to the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund to date; and if he will make it his policy that allocations to that fund will not affect funding for the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.

George Freeman: £5,009m has been allocated to successful Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF) projects to date. These allocations have no impact on the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund resource. Applicants from the one-year MDMTF can also apply to the successor fund if the application is for a different project.

OneWeb: Satellites

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of alternatives to the Russian Soyuz rockets for the launch of OneWeb; and what plans his Department has to make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) alternative launch technology source and (b) postponing the launch of the remaining 36 OneWeb satellites so that an alternative launch technology can be identified.

George Freeman: Discussions on alternative launch providers and the roll out of OneWeb satellites are a matter for OneWeb. These commercially sensitive discussions are likely to take time given the fast-changing situation and complexity of launch planning. We will engage with OneWeb in its thinking on alternative launch providers where appropriate.

Global Britain Investment Fund: Life Sciences

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in allocating the £354 million funding from the Global Britain Investment Fund identified for life sciences manufacturing in Autumn Budget 2021; with reference to the allocation of £60 million to the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, what engagement has he had with UK life sciences companies on allocation of the remaining funding; and what his timescale is for making further announcements on allocations from the Global Britain Investment Fund.

George Freeman: In the Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £354 million for UK life sciences manufacturing. This includes funding to further enhance the UK’s health emergency responsiveness and capability in vaccine production. Areas of focus for this funding will include mRNA capability following the success of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, and investments which will strengthen the resilience of the UK’s vaccine supply chains. The Vaccine Taskforce has undertaken considerable market engagement across the global vaccine sector to maximise impact for the UK taxpayers.  The £60 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) was announced on 2 March 2022. The launch was accompanied by a UK wide engagement of life sciences manufacturing companies, Trade Associations and other key sector stakeholders.

Life Sciences: Manufacturing Industries

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the £60 million funding to expand life sciences manufacturing announced on 2 March 2022 will be subject to his Department’s commitment on page 173 of the Levelling Up White Paper to spend at least 55 per cent of research and development funding outside the Greater South East.

George Freeman: The objective of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) is to incentivise capital investments in manufacturing across the UK. Applicants will be encouraged to describe R&D aspects of their manufacturing proposal as part of the Fund’s economic assessment. 75% of life sciences manufacturing jobs are located outside of London and England’s South-East and we expect the LSIMF to create highly-skilled jobs across all regions of the UK.

Global Britain Investment Fund: Life Sciences

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government’s press release entitled £260 million to boost healthcare research and manufacturing, published on 2 March 2022, stating that the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund will help ensure the UK continues to be an attractive investment destination, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that fund leverages in at least twice as much private sector investment to be consistent with the ambition stated in the Levelling Up White Paper.

George Freeman: The fund seeks to leverage £300 million of gross private sector manufacturing investment by March 2025, more than four times the public investment of £60 million. Applicants will undergo an economic assessment to ensure that their proposal provides a sufficient level of private sector investment. Applications will also be assessed on their alignment with the fund’s objectives of boosting health resilience, deploying innovation and minimising environmental impact.

Department of Health and Social Care

Food: Advertising

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including a sunset clause for the advertising restrictions contained in the Health and Care Bill in the event that they cannot be shown to have been effective in reducing levels of childhood obesity following the review period.

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the potential economic impact of advertising restriction provisions in the Health and Care Bill.

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for its policies of Professor Andrew Stephen's Expert Opinion and analysis of proposals in the Health and Care Bill relating to advertising of high far, sugar and salt products.

Maggie Throup: The introduction of restrictions on the advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar on TV and paid for advertising online is part of a range of measures to tackle obesity. A post-implementation review will be undertaken within five years of the introduction of restrictions. A sunset clause would pre-empt this evaluative work and could undermine compliance with the regulations. The impact assessment for this policy published in June 2021 shows the health benefits outweigh the costs to business and the Government. The health benefits accrued when appraised over 100 years are estimated at around £2 billion. Additionally, the policy will provide savings for the National Health Service of £50 million, in social care £40 million and reduced premature mortality is expected to deliver an additional £119 million of economic output. Professor Andrew Stephen’s analysis was considered alongside other responses to the consultation and, where appropriate, the impact assessment was updated.

Antimicrobials: Integrated Care Systems

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2022 to Question HL 5712 on Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance, what specialist leads have been appointed for infection prevention and control, diagnostics, and antimicrobial stewardship in NHS England regional teams.

Maggie Throup: The following posts have been appointed to the seven NHS England regions:- Infection Prevention and Control Leads;- Antimicrobial Stewardship Leads; and- Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Clinical Leads.

Coronavirus: Screening

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the use of testing to prevent covid-19 transmission and related illness.

Maggie Throup: The vaccination programme, the use of antiviral treatments and guidance on safer behaviours will limit the risks of COVID-19 transmission in future. From 1 April 2022, free asymptomatic and symptomatic testing for the general public in England will end. Free testing for a small number of at risk groups will continue. Further details on eligible groups will be available in due course.

Travel: Coronavirus

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that delivery of day two covid-19 PCR tests are not affected by the disruption to postal services over the Christmas period.

Maggie Throup: For day two polymerase chain reaction tests, the UK Health Security Agency worked with delivery partners to ensure that this service was available over the Christmas period. Contingency plans were also in place to cope with any adverse weather conditions. Where tests are purchased from private test providers, the delivery of the service, including appropriate logistics and contingency planning around disruption, is the responsibility of the private provider.

Coronavirus: Herefordshire

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide additional covid-19 vaccination sites in Herefordshire.

Maggie Throup: When deciding on additional vaccination sites, all local health systems review the needs of their populations, ensure a sufficiently trained workforce and work with NHS England and NHS Improvement to review and assure the safety of the sites. In Herefordshire, given the large geography and sparse population density, the local strategy is to operate mobile outreach teams and pop-up sites with four fixed sites at Elgar House, Day Lewis Pharmacy, Bromyard Pharmacy and the Three Counties Showground.All Primary Care Networks are offering vaccines in their areas and NHS England and NHS Improvement are finalising pharmacies to offer vaccination services. Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group is working with partners including Herefordshire Council, Taurus Healthcare and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue to increase its vaccine outreach offer.

Wales Office

Renewable Energy: Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on promoting renewable energy generation in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.

Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about promoting renewable energy generation across all parts of Wales, including Newport. The UK Government is committed to supporting renewable energy generation, with £285 million per year available in the fourth round of the Contracts for Difference renewable energy support scheme for projects in Wales, Scotland and England. We also recently announced up to £160 million in new funding for new large-scale floating offshore wind ports and factories across the UK. Wales is well placed to capitalise on this funding given the emerging pipelines in areas around the Celtic Sea. I will continue to work with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and my Cabinet colleagues, to ensure that we capitalise on the huge renewable energy opportunities Wales has to offer.

Department for Education

National School Breakfast Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools enrolled on the National School Breakfast Programme have been issued breakfast food orders this academic year since 7 February 2022.

Will Quince: The government is committed to supporting school breakfast provisions. Accordingly, it is investing up to £24 million to extend the National School Breakfast Programme until July 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better assist their attainment, wellbeing and readiness to be taught.As of 22 December 2021, 1,245 schools signed up for the programme, and 847 schools placed food orders. The government will continue to work with its supplier, Family Action, to monitor relevant data and consider suitable occasions to share more information on the programme as it progresses.Despite the number of challenges faced by schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has noted positive levels of interest in the programme. The enrolment process for the programme is still underway. The department has extended free breakfast provision beyond April 2022, allowing schools to receive free provisions until the end of July 2022. As a result, any school signing up to the programme now is still able to benefit from two terms worth of free food.

National School Breakfast Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the National School Breakfast Programme not reaching its target of 2,500 schools by January 2022; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: The government is committed to supporting school breakfast provisions. Accordingly, it is investing up to £24 million to extend the National School Breakfast Programme until July 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better assist their attainment, wellbeing and readiness to be taught.As of 22 December 2021, 1,245 schools signed up for the programme, and 847 schools placed food orders. The government will continue to work with its supplier, Family Action, to monitor relevant data and consider suitable occasions to share more information on the programme as it progresses.Despite the number of challenges faced by schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has noted positive levels of interest in the programme. The enrolment process for the programme is still underway. The department has extended free breakfast provision beyond April 2022, allowing schools to receive free provisions until the end of July 2022. As a result, any school signing up to the programme now is still able to benefit from two terms worth of free food.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Companies: Belarus and Russia

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to scrutinise shareholders of UK businesses for the purposes of ascertaining links with the regimes in Russia or Belarus.

James Cleverly: Alongside our allies, the UK has swiftly executed the biggest package of sanctions ever imposed against a G20 nation. The UK has sanctioned 17 elites including Putin and Lavrov and since 24 February, has sanctioned over 220 individuals, entities - including business and their subsidiaries at the heart of Putin's regime, and Belarus.The UK is preventing the Russian state from raising debt here and isolating all Russian companies - of which there are over three million - from access to UK capital markets. The UK has introduced new sanctions measures to prevent designated Russian banks from accessing sterling or being able to clear payments through the UK with Sberbank, the largest financial institution in Russia, designated under the new clearing prohibition.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Flags

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Mauritian Government on the raising of the Mauritian flag on the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Amanda Milling: We were disappointed Mauritius turned a scientific survey into a political stunt. The raising of Mauritian flags on outer islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory was an unhelpful way to approach a bilateral dispute. We have removed the flags and raised the matter with Mauritius Government officials.The UK has no doubt as to our sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814.The UK and Mauritius remain close friends and Commonwealth partners. We remain open to dialogue on all shared issues of mutual interest, including BIOT and its Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Uyghur Tribunal

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2022 to Question 128203, on Uyghur Tribunal, whether the Government declined to provide evidence to the Uyghur Tribunal.

Amanda Milling: FCDO Ministers and officials engaged extensively with Sir Geoffrey Nice over the last year to discuss the panel's work. This included highlighting extensive relevant open source research on the situation in Xinjiang.

Myanmar: Arms Trade

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take diplomatic steps to encourage the 119 countries who signed the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the 18 June 2021, which calls upon all member states to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar, to put unilateral arms embargoes in place.

Amanda Milling: The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. The UK helped secure an EU arms embargo on Myanmar following the 2017 Rohingya crisis. On 18 June 2021, the UK worked to secure an unprecedented UN General Assembly Resolution, signed up to by 119 countries, which committed to preventing the flow of arms to Myanmar.We coordinated a joint statement on the one year anniversary of the February 2021 coup with 36 signatories which reiterated support for Myanmar's democratic transition, called for an end to violence and to cease the sale and transfer of arms. We also have extensive targeted sanctions on the military and its business interests, including on multiple institutions responsible for procuring weapons from abroad. We are working closely with partners on next steps, including securing further commitments from the international community on the transfer of arms, equipment and spare parts to the military.

Overseas Workers: EU Countries

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to assist companies that wish to relocate their employees to Europe for work purposes.

James Cleverly: We recognise how important it is for UK businesses to continue to be able to send their employees to the EU, for example for business meetings or fulfilling a contract. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes reciprocal arrangements for business visitors between the UK and the EU, covering: short-term business visitors; travel for establishment purposes; intra-company transferees; contractual service suppliers and self-employed professionals. EU Member States may require a visa and/or work permit for some of these activities, and this will vary by country. UK nationals should check the entry requirements and rules of the country they intend to travel to well ahead of time, in case they need to apply for a visa, work permit or provide other documentation. They should also check that their passport has at least six months validity for the duration of their stay.The Government has published information about entry requirements, including for companies that wish to relocate their employees to Europe for work purposes, covering all EU Member States and the EFTA countries. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/travelling-to-the-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-or-liechtenstein-for-work.

Russia: Sanctions

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with her European counterparts to impose sanctions on Russian oil and gas.

James Cleverly: The UK is to phase out the import of Russian oil during the course of the year in response to the illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Government is establishing a new joint taskforce with industry to work together on an orderly transition. The move will increase the growing pressure on Russia's economy by choking off a valuable source of income - the import of Russian oil makes up 44 percent of Russian exports and 17 percent of federal government revenue through taxation.The UK is also working closely with the US, the EU and other partners to end our dependence on Russian hydrocarbons in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, recognising the different circumstances and transition timelines.

Ukraine: Refugees

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking support the Governments of (a) Poland, (b) Slovakia, (c) Hungary, (d) Romania and (e) Moldova to assist with accommodating refugees from Ukraine following the Russian invasion of that country.

James Cleverly: The UK government has so far pledged £395 million of aid, which includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance, some of which will go to supporting countries neighbouring Ukraine with their response. Our humanitarian support will help partners stand up their responses to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to immediate assistance. HMG is also match-funding the public's first £25 million of donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our largest ever aid-match contribution.In addition to the humanitarian assistance, the UK has deployed humanitarian experts to Poland, Moldova and Romania to provide logistics, advice and analysis of the refugee situation, and a medical assessment team to Romania and Moldova to assess options for rapidly deploying UK Emergency Medical Team (UKEMT) capabilities.

Ukraine: Emergency Travel Documents

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has the capability to issue emergency travel documents for travel to the UK to eligible persons in Ukraine via electronic means; and if she will make a statement.

James Cleverly: In a statement to the House, the Home Secretary announced on 28 February changes that allow Ukrainians in the UK to have their visas temporarily extended or be able to switch onto different visa routes.  Family members of British nationals resident in Ukraine who need a UK visa can apply through Visa Application Centres in Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary.We have created additional capacity in all locations at pace, in anticipation of the invasion of Ukraine. This includes a pop-up Visa Application Centre in Rzeszow in Poland, which has provided total capacity currently of well over 3,000 appointments per week.

Nigeria: Boko Haram

Marco Longhi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with her international counterparts on tackling attacks by Boko Haram against women and girls in Nigeria.

Vicky Ford: We are deeply concerned at the devastating impact of attacks by extremist groups, including Boko Haram, on women and girls in Nigeria. We condemn all incidents of violence against civilians. The UK Government continues to put women and girls at the centre of our approach to foreign policy, including preventing violence and supporting women's participation in peace efforts.The Foreign Secretary has made tackling conflict-related sexual violence one of her top priorities, and Nigeria is one of nine focus countries in the UK's Women Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plan. At our recent dialogue in support of our Security and Defence Partnership with Nigeria, we committed to collaborate and share best practice on implementation of our respective WPS National Action Plans. We have raised conflict-related sexual violence in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government and Nigerian stakeholders, and continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to protect all those at risk of violence, and to bring perpetrators to justice. We have offered to provide training in support of efforts to ensure gender perspectives are taken into account during security operations. I was able to discuss Nigeria's complex security situation, and the UK's offer of support, with the Vice President and Foreign Minister during a visit to Abuja last month.

Russia: Southern Africa

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Russia’s foreign policy interests in Southern Africa.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government has not made a formal assessment of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Russia's foreign policy interests in Southern Africa. At the recent UNGA vote to condemn actions in Ukraine, eight members of the Southern Africa Development Community voted in favour, seven abstained and one did not vote. Despite several countries in the region abstaining in the UN vote, many of them have expressed their concerns about Russian aggression. The Minister for Africa discussed Ukraine prior to the UNGA vote with many of her Southern African counterparts including the Deputy Foreign Minister of South Africa, the Foreign Minister of Namibia and the Foreign Minister of Botswana, underlining the importance of unity amongst the international community against unprovoked and illegal Russian aggression. UK embassies across the region continue to engage host governments on this issue.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Tunisia.

James Cleverly: The UK has closely monitored the political situation in Tunisia since the changes brought in by President Kais Saied on 25 July 2021, and we will continue to do so. We engage regularly with government leaders in the country, most recently on 1 March when the British Ambassador called on Prime Minister Najla Bouden. Tunisia faces many economic and political challenges that can only be effectively addressed through democratic engagement, transparency, the protection of human rights, and free speech. The UK has expressed its views regarding the political situation, bilaterally and through statements on behalf of G7 Ambassadors. The most recent joint statement was on 8 February, conveying concerns about the decision to dissolve Tunisia's Supreme Judicial Council: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supreme-judicial-court-in-tunisia-ambassadors-joint-statement-8-february-2022.

Afghanistan: Emigration

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2022 to Question 115899 on Visas: Afghanistan, what steps her Department is taking to secure more routes out of Afghanistan.

James Cleverly: We continue to work including with international partners to relocate British Nationals and eligible Afghans through third countries. We also provide as much information as we can through our Travel Advice. We have supported over 3,700 individuals to leave Afghanistan since the end of Op PITTING. This includes over 1,200 British nationals and eligible dependants.

Ukraine: Refugees

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has provided support to Poland to help that country with the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.

James Cleverly: The Foreign Secretary most recently engaged with the Polish Foreign Minister on 2 March and our Embassy in Poland is in regular contact with its host government in Warsaw.Total UK aid to Ukraine and the region for the current crisis comes to almost £400 million. As well as ensuring that Ukrainians have access to basic necessities and medical supplies, this will help countries surrounding Ukraine, including Poland, to receive and support the increasing flow of refugees. A five person team of UK humanitarian experts are currently (as of 4 March) in Rzeszow, Poland providing logistics advice and analysis on the evolving refugee situation there.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department spent on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 up to and including 28 February; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Vicky Ford: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Freedom of Religion or Belief Summit

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's objectives are for the international conference to promote freedom of religion or belief due to take place in London in July 2022.

Vicky Ford: The UK-hosted International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in July 2022 will drive forward international efforts on this agenda and demonstrate the UK's leading role in supporting freedom and openness. This conference will allow us to use our global influence to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all internationally. Preparations for the conference are ongoing, including consultations with our international and domestic partners to consider possible themes and outcomes.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on providing the Ukrainian army with (a) lethal and (b) non-lethal defensive military equipment.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sweden: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last spoke to his Swedish counterpart.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Finland: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last spoke to his Finnish counterpart.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Army: Training

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  what steps his Department has taken to help improve the ability of the Army to fight effectively in urban environments.

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including in armed forces urban training environments (a) high rise buildings, (b) multi-story car parks and (c) other features found in modern cities to represent the modern operating environment.

James Heappey: The Army has various interventions in place to assist them in adapting to fight in an urban environment. For several years now, the Army has been conducting the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE) on an annual basis, which is an established series of exercises and wargames, focussing specifically on operating in the urban environment. In April 2022, the Army is introducing the Experimentation and Trials Group (ETG) which will comprise of a headquarters, a next generation combat team and five trials and development units. Informed by a comprehensive training needs analysis, the ETG will include an urban centre of excellence with a small team dedicated to urban warfare trials and experiments. The Army also utilises a Unit Based Virtual Trainer (UBVT) which is able to recreate complex urban environments, including the infrastructure mentioned within your question. The software is built around commercial gaming software and replicates, in detail, all of the Army's platforms and weapons.

Army: Deployment

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to increase the number of deployable divisions in the Army.

James Heappey: The British Army has two deployable divisions: 1st (UK) Division and 3rd (UK) Division. Whilst there are no plans to increase the number of deployable divisions in the British Army, under the Future Soldier programme the Army will modernise the divisions to ensure they are fit for purpose to counter the threats of today and the future.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 up to and including 28 February; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Guy Opperman: Social media advertising spend by the Department for Work and Pensions is included in marketing spend data published on GOV.UK: DWP: departmental spending over £25,000 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Products: Imports

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the merits of banning imports of hunting trophies to the UK.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made in introducing a ban on imports of hunting trophies to the UK.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about a range of issues, including delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals.We have pledged to bring forward legislation to ban imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. This ban will be among the strongest in the world, leading the way in protecting endangered animals. We intend to bring this forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Packaging: Waste Disposal

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether packaging producers will be made responsible for the full net costs of managing packaging waste, including bin and ground litter management costs, as proposed by his Department in the recent Extended Producer Responsibility consultation.

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the management costs of bin and ground packaging litter incurred by (a) local authorities, (b) other duty bodies, (c) litter authorities and (d) statutory undertakers.

Jo Churchill: We remain committed to making packaging producers responsible for the costs of managing packaging waste. We are reviewing responses to the consultation on Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, and will publish a Government response in early 2022. This will detail our final policy positions, including on the approach to managing packaging deposited in bins and littered on the ground. The Impact Assessment, that was published alongside the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging consultation, provides details on our estimates of the costs associated with managing binned waste and ground litter. That is available here: (https://consult.defra.gov.uk/extended-producer-responsibility/extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging/supporting_documents/Extended Producer Responsibility Impact Assessment.pdf), and will be updated as part of the Government response to the consultation.

Recreation Spaces: Urban Areas

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the recommendations of The University of Manchester’s Building Utopia publication, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increasing green spaces on air quality in (a) general and (b) the worst affected communities in urban areas.

Jo Churchill: Defra's evidence shows that well-designed green spaces including healthy, well-chosen, and well-placed trees in urban areas are known to have a large range of benefits for people and the economy. While vegetation can help filter and reduce some air pollution, it is also crucial to reduce emissions at their source. Furthermore, the design of urban vegetation architecture is important, to ensure it doesn’t contribute to poorer air quality in some locations. Government will publish a revised National Air Quality Strategy in 2023 with a key focus on identifying and addressing air pollution inequalities, targeting action to support vulnerable groups and communities that are worst affected.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to educate the public on the dangers of breeding dogs with exaggerated physical features which compromise dog welfare.

Jo Churchill: This Government has gone further than educating the public on the issue of dog conformation and has restricted licensed breeding activities which might lead to such outcomes through the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities) (England) Regulations 2018. Under the 2018 Regulations licensed breeders are prohibited from keeping dogs for breeding if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies. Under the 2018 Regulations local authorities have powers to grant, refuse or revoke a licence. Licencees must achieve and maintain statutory minimum animal welfare standards, linked to the welfare needs of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Anyone who carries on a licensable activity without a licence is liable to imprisonment, a fine or both. More broadly, provisions included in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 require owners or handlers of animals to protect them from harm and to provide for their welfare needs in line with good practice, and a breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment a fine, or both. The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which provides owners and keepers with general welfare information, including a specific section on how to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-dogs. That section of the Code of Practice recommends owners thinking of breeding from their dogs consult their vets, who can provide information on the risks of inherited conditions and exaggerated features that could affect the welfare of the puppies. The Code of Practice also reminds owners of their responsibility to care for the dog throughout its pregnancy. In addition, my department maintains Petfished, a public communications campaign, to raise awareness of issues associated with the low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes guidance on ensuring that a dog's physical appearance has minimal adverse impact on their physical well-being and welfare.

Food and Plants: Import Controls

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact on (a) food producers and (b) food prices of introducing controls on agri-foods and plant imports from the EU with effect from 1 July 2022.

Victoria Prentis: Defra food price modelling analysis demonstrates that the five key drivers of consumer food prices are: domestic farmgate prices; agriculture and food import prices; exchange rates; labour costs in food manufacturing; and non-labour costs in food manufacturing. Agri-food supply chains are currently subject to multiple cost pressures from a variety of factors - including high energy prices, oil prices and freight costs. Recent increases in food price inflation reported by the Office for National Statistics are seen to indicate that retailers are passing some of those increased costs onto consumers.The additional import controls due to be introduced on 1 July 2022 have the potential to add further cost pressures onto the supply chains of those products affected. The impact of those further pressures on the prices consumers pay will vary on a product-to-product basis depending on the level of existing pressure on the relevant individual supply chain, the importance of imports in that supply chain and the decisions of retailers in terms of whether to pass those additional costs on. We complement this work with input from our trade analysts on border frictions and non-tariff barriers to trade, as well as trade specific economic modelling. Defra will continue to monitor food prices and food price drivers, along with the impact that they have on consumers.

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent in total on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 as of 28 February 2022; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Victoria Prentis: Details of social media advertising spend are recorded in our publicly available transparency data which is published at:https://data.gov.uk/dataset/91072f06-093a-41a2-b8b5-6f120ceafd62/spend-over-25-000-in-the-department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs

Fishing Vessels: Decommissioning

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department and the Marine Management Office have given to fishers on the recent type withdrawal of an IVMS product.

Victoria Prentis: The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) received information indicating that the MS44 Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (IVMS) device that has been marketed by Maritime Systems Ltd was different to the device that was type-approved by the MMO in November 2021 and may not meet the required specification set out in the published approval process. Concern was centred around transmission strengths of the MS44 IVMS device, specifically in regard to its 4G capability.So that the MMO could provide individuals with the reassurance needed to move forward with installation, type approval was temporally suspended to allow for a review to take place. Additional supporting information was requested regarding the functionality of the device and assurances were sought that the actual device that will be offered to industry moving forward is the MS44 device as approved within the original type approval programme.The additional information provided by Maritime Systems Ltd confirms that the MS44 device continues to meet the required specification criteria, including 4G functionality. As a result of the review, this device remains one of the approved IVMS devices available for purchase.On 7 March 2022, the MMO communicated the outcome to industry and also published an update online. In addition to the outcome of the review, this confirmed that the deadline for Tranche 1 (vessels 10m to 11.9m in length) device installation has been extended by seven weeks to 16 May 2022 and the grant claim window to 17 June 2022 to align with the Tranche 2 deadline.

Food Supply

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish his Department's assessment of the implications of a Russian invasion of Ukraine for the (a) UK’s food security and (b) price of grain products in the UK.

Victoria Prentis: The UK has a highly resilient supply chain, with a high degree of food security which is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production, as well as imports through stable trade routes. Regarding grains, the UK is largely self-sufficient in barley and oats, and 81% self-sufficient in milling wheat (slightly higher for wheat overall), which is the most significant grain crop for food consumption in the UK. We speak regularly with food industry figures, who remain confident in the food supply chain despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Defra is committed to continually assessing the UK’s food security and price of food, including grain products, and will continue to do so. UK food security assessments are achieved via consistent review and management, working closely with the food and drink sectors and producing a publicly available UK Food Security Report published at least once every three years. At this stage, the large number of possible scenarios means it would be premature to make an assessment of the potential impact on UK grain prices. We will continue to monitor developments in wheat and other grains and their impacts on other products.

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what monitoring will be taking place to assess the impact of the approved use of thiamethoxam on sugar beet to the wider environment, including on soils, freshwaters, aphid predators, and wild pollinators.

Victoria Prentis: Ministers considered scientific evidence on human health and environmental risks and received advice from the Health and Safety Executive, the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser. This advice is available publicly. This advice has informed the overall decision and shaped the strict controls attached to the authorisation which have been put in place to mitigate risks to pollinators and other species. Industry will be carrying out monitoring activity of aphids, their resistance and infectivity at up to 15 sites in each of the four factory areas. This will provide advice on future control strategies. As a condition of the authorisation, industry will also monitor neonicotinoid-treated sugar beet fields in 2022 to determine any neonicotinoid seed treatment residue levels in soil and plants. The Government will continue to monitor water quality at a number of sites through our Catchment Sensitive Farming programme, with over 30 samples a month across the network tested for presence of all neonicotinoids along with another 350 pesticides.

Home Office

Refugees: Afghanistan

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will expedite the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme for people from (a) the Hararas Muslim community and (b) other minoritised communities.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Hong Kong

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a path to permanent UK residency for Hong Kong citizens who have studied at and graduated from UK universities.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing an expedited process for family members of EU/EEA Nationals awaiting decisions on applications to the EU Settlement Scheme to match the announced introduction of an expedited decision-making process for family members of UK nationals.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on ensuring that those who assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan are referred to the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy to include applicants who were not directly employed by UK armed forces.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 up to and including 28 February; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Kit Malthouse: Digital advertising is a cost-effective way for the government to recruit nurses, promote blood donations, find out about pensions and all the other important information the public needs to be aware of. The Home Office has used social media as one of many channels and approaches to deliver crime prevention and public awareness communications campaigns. For example, social media adverts have been successfully used as part of police recruitment campaigns as a way to reach a diverse audience raising awareness, relevance and consideration of a career in the police.The Home Office has spent £6,013,011 on promoted activity across a variety of social media platforms since January 2019.The table below sets out the Home Office’s spend on social media advertising by year and company through media buying agency Manning Gottlieb OMD since January 2019 until 28 February 2022.2019Supplier NameSum of Client Cost (Curr)FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM£888,807.00LINKEDIN IRELAND LIMITED (GBP)£43,606.00SNAPCHAT£254,310.00TWITTER UK LTD£221,701.00 2020Supplier NameSum of Client Cost (Curr)FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM£1,635,297.00LINKEDIN IRELAND LIMITED (GBP)£108,856.00SNAPCHAT£95,858.00TWITTER UK LTD£265,814.00PINTEREST£17,282.00 FY 19 202021Supplier NameSum of Client Cost (Curr)FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM£1,393.832.00LINKEDIN IRELAND LIMITED (GBP)£122,427.00SNAPCHAT£206,584.00TWITTER UK LTD£181,982.00PINTEREST£29,830.00 FY 19 202022Supplier NameSum of Client Cost (Curr)FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM£181,336.00LINKEDIN IRELAND LIMITED (GBP)£6,042.00SNAPCHAT£48,850.00TWITTER UK LTD£85,805.00PINTEREST£1,967.00REDDIT INC (GBP)£5,836.00

Passports: Gender

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have changed the sex marker on their UK passport in each year since 2005.

Kevin Foster: The number of British passport holders who have changed the sex marker when applying for their next passport is not collated.This information could only be obtained from passport records at a disproportionate cost.

Visas: Russia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 1 Investor Visas issued to Russian nationals between 2008 and 2022 have been assessed by her Department as posing a national security risk.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date she plans to publish her Department's review of Tier 1 Investor visas granted from when the scheme launched in 2008 up to 5 April 2015.

Kevin Foster: The Government intends to publish its review of cases between 2008 to 2015 shortly.Beyond the findings of the review, as regards specific numbers between 2008 and 2022 of Russian nationals identified as posing a National Security Risk, it is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments to not comment on intelligence matters.

Immigration: Veterans

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2022, HCWS624 on Outcome of Public Consultation on Settlement Fees for Non-UK Service Personnel, whether a fee waiver will be introduced and apply to non-UK veterans who are living outside the UK and who have not regularised their immigration status and had served for at least six years or had been discharged due to an illness or injury which was attributable to service.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2022, HCWS624 on Outcome of Public Consultation on Settlement Fees for Non-UK Service Personnel, when his Department plans to implement changes to immigration rules.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 February 2022, HCWS624 on Outcome of Public Consultation on Settlement Fees for Non-UK Service Personnel, whether a fee waiver will be introduced and apply retrospectively to non-UK veterans who are currently living in the UK who have not regularised their immigration status and had served for at least six years or had been discharged due to an illness or injury which was attributable to service.

Kevin Foster: The Government aims to implement the Armed Forces settlement fee waiver through a planned update to the Immigration Fees and Regulations this Spring, with the changes coming into effect on 6 April.As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation, the fee waiver will also apply to undocumented veterans currently living in the UK who served for six years or more, or were discharged due to due to an illness or injury attributable to their service, regardless of length of service.Non-UK veterans who have chosen not to remain in the UK after leaving the Armed Forces can apply for settlement for up to two years after their discharge. Applications for Indefinite Leave to Enter made from outside the UK by veterans will also be free of charge where they meet the same criteria.

British Nationality: Russia

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many high net-worth Russian people were granted British citizenship on the basis of their wealth in each year since 2010 broken down by people who subsequently (a) retained and (b) renounced Russian citizenship.

Kevin Foster: The requirements for a person to register or naturalise as a British citizen is set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA81). The net worth of an individual is not a basis on which an application for British citizenship would be granted.All applications for British citizenship are considered against the relevant requirements of the BNA81. Consequently, we do not hold the data as requested.

Napier Barracks

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to publish the Home Office planning consultation for Napier Barracks from January 2022; and how the submissions on that matter will be used by her Department.

Kevin Foster: A public consultation on the Special Development Order concluded on 30 January 2022. Responses will be considered in due course.Discussions are still ongoing regarding how submissions will be utilised by the Home Office.

Teachers: English Language

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take steps to ensure there is sufficient availability of English for Speakers of Other Languages teaching provision to support people who arrive in the UK as refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office works closely with other Government departments to ensure mainstream English language provision meets the needs of refugees.Individuals aged 19 or over with refugee status are immediately eligible for funding through the Department for Education’s Adult Education budget and exempt from the three-year residency requirement rule. This includes funding for English For Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes.Asylum seekers are also eligible to receive funding if they have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered and no decision has been made, or are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department has spent on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 up to and including 28 February; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Eddie Hughes: Our publicly available transparency data includes the spend information requested. Social media is a cost effective way of ensuring the public benefit from the policies and programmes of department and all spend represents value of money:DLUHC: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dluhc-departmental-spending-over-250MHCLG: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mhclg-departmental-spending-over-250

Regional Planning and Development: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Levelling Up funding on stimulating economic activity in Shrewsbury town centre.

Neil O'Brien: I welcome Shropshire Council's ambitious plans to regenerate Shrewsbury town centre. Shropshire's first round Levelling Up Fund bid, which focused on regenerating Shrewsbury town centre, was assessed by DLUHC officials impartially and robustly against four key criteria, including an assessment of the economic case. While Shropshire Council's bid was not successful in what was a highly competitive national competition, I would strongly encourage the local authority to bid again in the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, further details of which will be announced in the spring. Shropshire will also receive an allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, when it launches later this Spring, to invest in local priority projects in the area.

Local Government Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will ensure that the Government undertakes a comprehensive review of local government finances and their requirements to deliver safe services for their areas ahead of the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

Kemi Badenoch: The Local Government Finance Settlement for financial year 2022-23 gives local authorities access to the resources that they need. It makes available £54.1 billion for 2022-23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021-22. This significant investment includes over £1 billion specifically for councils to meet social care pressures and a new one-off 2022-23 Services Grant worth £822 million, which will be un-ringfenced in recognition that local leaders know the priorities for their local communities best

Community Ownership Fund

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2022 to Question 99347, on Community Ownership Fund, when he plans to publish an updated timetable for applications to the Community Ownership Fund.

Neil O'Brien: We will be relaunching the Community Ownership Fund in Spring 2022.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to rebuild their high streets.

Neil O'Brien: We have provided a comprehensive package of around £400 billion of direct support to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK.We are taking concrete steps towards reviving our high streets and town centres by committing billions of pounds to support economic growth and regeneration for high streets, through the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund. This is in addition to the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, which includes support for 101 Town Deals and 72 Future High Streets Fund projects, as well as the £220 million UK-wide Community Renewal Fund.

Regional Planning and Development

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much levelling up funding has been allocated to each region in the UK, per capita.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has allocated around £1.9 billion levelling up funds throughout the UK since September 2021, including £61 million for Northern Ireland.Funding allocations for all levelling up funds can be found on GOV.UK.

Housing: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of permitting (a) Ukrainian and (b) Afghan refugees to settle temporarily in willing family homes until suitable alternative accommodation is found.

Eddie Hughes: The Government has set up an online portal to allow people to submit offers of housing for people arriving from Afghanistan, and encourage people with available properties to offer these via gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-housing-portal-offers-of-support.

Urban Areas: Transport

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking with the Department for Transport to ensure that transport planning is integrated in wider city planning to help tackle the climate crisis.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure that transport planning is integrated in wider city planning to help tackle the climate crisis. We have set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals, so that opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use are identified and pursued. In addition, the NPPF is clear that significant development should be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable, through limiting the need to travel and offering a genuine choice of transport modes.Last year, the Government published the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which highlighted the principles of low carbon transport in spatial planning. We are also supporting the delivery of an update to Manual for Streets, the Government’s guidance on street design which ensures that when considering the design of streets, low carbon modes of transport are at the top of the hierarchy.As we set out in the Net Zero Strategy, through our programme of changes to the planning system we intend to review the NPPF to make sure it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation as fully as possible.

Holiday Accommodation: Council Tax

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of charging holiday lets an enhanced rate of council tax.

Kemi Badenoch: Holiday lets are generally subject to business rates rather than council tax. To prevent owners of second homes who do not let their property from claiming small business rate relief, the Government has legislated so that, from April 2023, properties must be let for at least 70 days a year before being assessed for business rates.

Property Development: Planning Permission

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help prevent the practice of people avoiding enforcement action by submitting repeated retrospective planning applications for the same development in the event that previous retrospective applications for that development have been refused.

Stuart Andrew: A person who has undertaken unauthorised development has only one opportunity to obtain planning permission after the event. This can either be by means of a retrospective planning application or by means of an appeal against an enforcement notice.The local planning authority can decline to determine a retrospective planning application if an enforcement notice has previously been issued.

Railways: Radlett

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Statement by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State on 23 February 2022, Official Report, colum148WH, if his Department will hold discussions with Hertfordshire County Council on the potential merits of disposal of the land that Council owns at Radlett being developed to support the delivery of community initiatives or facilitate local regeneration instead of the construction of a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange.

Stuart Andrew: Due to the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to hold a meeting to discuss the details of any specific site, particularly when a local plan is currently being prepared for that area.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Social Media

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent in total on social media advertising in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022 as of 28 February 2022; and on which platforms that money was spent.

Penny Mordaunt: Publicly available transparency data on departmental spend over £25,000 is published on a monthly basis and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dit-spending-over-25000-january-2021.

Trade Agreements: New Zealand

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions her Department has had with the (a) Farmers Union of Wales and (b) National Union of Farmers in Wales about the contents of the UK trade deal with New Zealand.

Penny Mordaunt: As members of the Department for International Trade’s Trade Advisory Groups, senior representatives of the Farmers Union of Wales and the National Union of Farmers in Wales were regularly consulted throughout the negotiations with New Zealand and at key milestones: before agreement in principle was reached in August 2021; at the point of agreement in principle in October 2021; and at signature in February 2022.